Q+A

ask thisoldhouse

Q I can’t seem to coil a hose without it kinking. I’m left-handed—is that the problem? LEE DALEY, EDISON, N.J. A I don’t think that matters, but it could be your hose. Rubber hoses like the ones on this page don’t kink as easily as vinyl hoses. Also, try this technique:

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weekend remodel

Build an outdoor bar cart

Offer up cocktails and brews with a dedicated serving station

By DEBORAH SNOONIAN8 min

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OUTDOOR LIVING

How a GARDEN GROWS

For one novice gardener, a blank-slate backyard became a canvas for a series of color-packed flower beds built over time. Here, the trial-and-error lessons she learned in creating her stunning landscape

By JEANNE HUBER7 min

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idea file

small fixes, lots more function

A 1960s shore house gets upgraded for a family of today—with two new rooms, built-ins to corral clutter, and trimwork details that artfully blend new and old

By Gregory Cerio7 min

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landscaping

Multiplying plants

Grow additional specimens (for free!) from ones you have on hand to fill out your garden beds or share with friends. Coming up: four methods for making more plants

By STEPHEN ORR6 min

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OUTDOOR LIVING

25 thrifty ways to create an outdoor dining space

You don’t need a bank-busting “outdoor room” to enjoy your meals alfresco. On the following pages, see how a little candlelight, pops of colorful all-weather fabric, and creative repurposing of furniture and building materials you have on hand can transform a patch of green or sliver of patio into a comfortable—and affordable—area for open-air entertaining

By Heather Smith Maclsaac6 min

animal house

Thinking inside the box

By KEITH PANDOLFI3 min

shopping

Barn-style sconces

Charming and practical, these hardworking fixtures deliver high-performance light and a vintage look to any home By DANIELLE BLUNDELL Photographs by MARK WEISS

By DANIELLE BLUNDELL3 min

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in every issue

homenews

Driveway detox

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letter

Feeling a bit sluggish?

“Why don’t we take it to the lawn and eat there?” I said to my wife, who’d come home with a pizza on a gorgeous spring night. I’d just rolled out a lush carpet of sod in our backyard that afternoon, and we hadn’t bought any outdoor furniture yet. And so we sat down in the grass to sup.